1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: But as I mentioned just a little while ago, it 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: is being reported this morning that Charles Darwin University has 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 1: reportedly bought on a new partner for its city based 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: student accommodation as the new build gets one step closer 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: to reality. So, according to the Northern Territory News, Campus 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: Living Villages is going to manage the living requirements of 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: about three hundred and fifty students housed in the new 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: Wood Street accommodation hub when it gets up and running. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: Charles Darwin University's Vice Chancellor and President, Scott Bowman joins 10 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: me on the line. Good morning to you, Scott, Good 11 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: morning Katie. 12 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 2: Good to talk to you. 13 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to have you on the show. Thank you 14 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: so much for your time this morning. Now, first off, 15 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: talk me through this partnership that looks as though it's 16 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: going to get underway with Campus Living Villages. 17 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, this is really good news. So come to 18 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: s Living Village is a company that runs student accommodation 19 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 2: really all over the world. I think they've got about 20 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: twenty four thousand bags or students that they provide an 21 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 2: accommodation for. They've come and looked at the university, looked 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 2: at Darwin and think it's a great prospect. So they're 23 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: going to be building three hundred and fifty beds just 24 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: behind the new campus, and great news. 25 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: How quickly are we expecting that to get underway? 26 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: Look, you look in at a two year build because 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: I think it's it's a twenty story building or so. 28 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: So we're still two years away. So we're still going 29 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 2: to be tight for a little while. But I think 30 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 2: there is other accommodation coming online as well. 31 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: Well. That's good news because obviously we'll need students to 32 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: have somewhere to be able to live. But I know 33 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: that those numbers, you know, in terms of the number 34 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 1: of international students or commencements for next year, has been 35 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: a point of contention or a point of worry, I 36 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: suppose for a little while now. And the federal government 37 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: had previously indicated, as I understand it, three thousand students 38 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: would start at the new CBD campus when it opened, 39 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: but the Education Minister Jason Clair then last Tuesday announced 40 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: an allocation of two thousand, two hundred international students for 41 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. Professor, where are these numbers at and 42 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: are they what you'd hoped they'd be at? 43 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 2: No, they're not because as you know, we've been going 44 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: through a real building process to build international student numbers. 45 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: I think both sides of politics in the NC really 46 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: would like to get up ten thousand international students, so 47 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 2: we need them for all the work and all the 48 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 2: projects we've got coming online. We said that we could 49 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: easily go up to six thousand students, maybe a few more, 50 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 2: and we asked for three thousand for next year. We 51 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: only got two thousand, two hundred. We did better than 52 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: most universities in Australia. But we've still got to push 53 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: that things are different up here and policies that are 54 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 2: being put in place to solve the problems down south 55 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 2: don't work for us up here, so they need to 56 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 2: keep listening. 57 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: Well, this is the thing, right, you know, when you 58 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: look at the infrastructure issues and when you look at 59 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: the overcrowding and the lack of places to live in 60 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: some of those other parts of Australia, our needs are 61 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: very different in regional Australia. It just sort of perplexes 62 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: me the way that the federal government doesn't treat regional 63 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: Australia a little bit differently. 64 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they kind of look down there and say 65 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: that all these students are going into Melbourne and Sydney 66 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: and then when they finish their courses, you know, they 67 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,839 Speaker 2: can stay for two years on a post study work 68 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: visa and all they are doing is driving ubers and 69 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: taxis not that there's anything wrong with that, but yeah, 70 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: you've got an accounting degree, or a business degree or 71 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: a nursing degree. You want to be nursing or you 72 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: want to be I don't know, counting money. And that's 73 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 2: exactly what happens up here. If someone train comes up 74 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: here and trains as a nurse, a teacher, or an accountant, 75 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: they get jobs in those professions. And that's why we're 76 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 2: so popular with a student. 77 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: So tell me, professor. As it currently stands, so, by 78 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: the look of it, two two hundred international students for 79 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: next year, what implications is that going to have on 80 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: the new City campus if any? 81 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 2: Oh, look it does. I mean the federal government I 82 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: think encouraged us to get involved with the city deal 83 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 2: and part of that was building that incredible building and 84 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 2: it is fantastic, but that was obviously there was a 85 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 2: business case behind that which actually showed well needed a 86 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: massive increase in the number of international students. So for 87 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: the last two or three years we've been going out there. 88 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 2: As you know, we've set the office up in Delhi 89 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: and we were well on target to get those numbers. 90 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: Now next year it will be very very marginal whether 91 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,559 Speaker 2: we meet the numbers that are in that business case. 92 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 2: And as we move into twenty six and twenty seven, 93 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 2: if they keep that limit to thy two hundred, then 94 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 2: we won't make the numbers we need in there. So 95 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: quite a lot of work to do. 96 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so I mean, does it potentially mean that 97 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: you're going to have to change the way that you're 98 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: doing business? I mean, if we've set that modeling up 99 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: on international students, do we need to revert back to 100 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: trying to get people here from interstate? Like what can 101 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: we do? 102 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, we will do that and we've done that, 103 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 2: so you know, but there's some interesting things that we 104 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 2: may talk about at some other time. There's also going 105 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: to be put a very hard cap on the number 106 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 2: of domestic students we can take. So people probably wouldn't 107 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 2: realize that CDU we have a cap already, but we're 108 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 2: allowed to go over it. We're twenty percent over our cap. 109 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: Lots of universities in Australia are under their cap. We're 110 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 2: over the cap in lots of students, but we don't 111 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: get any government funding for those students. We only get 112 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 2: the students fees. Now, if we lose that twenty percent, 113 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 2: we're in trouble there as well. So there's a lot 114 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: going on at the moment, cading. 115 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, are we being left high and dry a little 116 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: bit here by the federal government? 117 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 2: Well, look, I don't know if I would say that, 118 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: but and you know Minister Claire does listen. I mean, 119 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: he does listen. So there's a lot of water to 120 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 2: go under the bridge before they bring on that domestic cap. 121 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: There's a lot of water to go under the bridge, 122 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 2: you know, before we don't meet those international student numbers. Yeah, 123 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: but you know another factor in this, All of this 124 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: stuff has done a lot of damage to Australian's, Australia's reputation. 125 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 2: So we've doubled. We've got the highest visa application fee 126 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: one thousand, six hundred dollars to five for visa that 127 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 2: you've only got a fifty percent chance to get in. 128 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: We've taken away post study work rights for people over 129 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: thirty five, and people have not got visas so we've 130 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 2: got two thousand and two hundred, but we've now got 131 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: to recruit them. And so I'm on a plane tomorrow 132 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 2: get over to India and Nepal because we can have 133 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 2: to work hard to get two to one hundred now 134 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: in this environment. 135 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So you are literally off tomorrow to try 136 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: to do that. 137 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: Yep. As soon as we got the numbers, we've planned 138 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: a delegation, so we go in over. In fact, tomorrow 139 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: I'm in nullam Boy. We're opening our new center in 140 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 2: Nullen Boy and then get we're get in the direct 141 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 2: filight nullen Boy to Delhi. I think that's right. 142 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: Where I might be wrong, might have to catch a 143 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: for a few flights in between there, I reckon, Professor, 144 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, But hey, I tell you what I mean. 145 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: It sounds like it's really important as well that you 146 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: get across and you do that work. I mean, are 147 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: you confident that you're going to get to that number 148 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: of two thy two hundred? 149 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: Look, I'm pretty confident. We've got a great team of 150 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: about ten people who are actually based in Delhi. We're 151 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 2: doing well in Nepal. The unit's got a good reputation 152 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: and sometimes you know, Familiarity breeds content, and I think 153 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 2: local people don't realize just how well we are thought 154 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 2: of and ranked in terms of research. Probably the main 155 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: thing that drives people here though, is the jobs. When 156 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: if people come here, you know we've got there's plenty 157 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 2: of jobs in nurse and plenty of jobs in teaching, 158 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 2: and so there's a lot of pool to the Northern 159 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 2: Territory at the moment. 160 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, Hey, a couple of other questions that I'm keen 161 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: to find out a little more in terms of the 162 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: city campus. So when's it expected to open? When are 163 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: you thinking that there's going to be students in there 164 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 1: and staff moving in? 165 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 2: Okay, I think I figned off on the last documentation yesterday, 166 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 2: so I think now we own the building, So I 167 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 2: think think that's right. Either today or tomorrow we're in there. 168 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: We don't to wear hard hats in there anymore. We 169 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 2: are looking to do an opening on the fourth and 170 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 2: fifth of October, and I think the fifth of October 171 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 2: is when we open it to the public, So it's 172 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: everybody's campus, so everyone's invited into come and have a 173 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 2: look round, and we will have students in there from 174 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: summer term, which starts in November. 175 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: Wonderful plan. Yeah, that is really good to hear. And 176 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: in some other good news, I understand this other Northern 177 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: territory is going to start well producing our own doctors 178 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: as Charles Dowen University's Long Away to Medical school opens. 179 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: Oh how long have we been talking. 180 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,199 Speaker 1: About a long time? 181 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 2: Just fantastic. So we got the funding to start the 182 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 2: course in twenty six so the year after next for 183 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 2: forty students. I just we couldn't hold back by Stevens 184 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 2: and the team we've got in there, they just want 185 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 2: to get going. You know, it's still subject to Australian 186 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: Medical Council accreditation, but they have given us the green 187 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 2: light to go ahead for next year, subject to final 188 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 2: So we've decided that we're going to take a pilot 189 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 2: group in next year of twenty students that you'll come 190 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 2: in and study medicine and then go up to the 191 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 2: forty the year next, and the Universe is going to 192 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 2: finance those twenty students going through for next year. 193 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: Good news, Professor. Before I let you go, a couple 194 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: of questions from our listeners. There's one from Alan Hi Katie, 195 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: could you please ask mister Bowman how much of the 196 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: old Darwin Primary School has been gained for the accommodation 197 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: area i e. Is it bare ground area of the 198 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: former school buildings or is it the school buildings? Are 199 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: they going to be demolished? 200 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 2: Yep, sorry, no, they're not going to be demolished. What 201 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 2: we've got is a corner. So it's more or less 202 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 2: the area that the co at least offer the government 203 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 2: while they were building the building. Maybe a little bit more. 204 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 2: It doesn't impact on any of those buildings. Those buildings 205 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: remain there and it doesn't impact on any of the 206 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 2: listed trees in there, So it's really just the corner. 207 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: I would say, I don't know, maybe twenty percent of 208 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 2: the land that the schools. 209 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: Aren't well professor, we better leave it there for this morning. 210 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: We have got a lot going on today. I really 211 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thank you very much for having a 212 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: chat with us and let us know how you go on. 213 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: The delegation will be really keen to hear how you 214 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: go with recruiting those twenty two hundred international students. 215 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 2: That'd be great. ILL look forward to talking to you 216 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: about that. Thank you very much.